“As my mate said, Sally and Jen will stay here to look after the children.” Fane slipped his hands into his pockets and took a deep breath, pulling his shoulders back. He looked at the sprite queen. “Andora, do you feel any of your people should join this mission?”
The queen shook her head. “Though my people have much power, and we’ve fought before, I believe we aren’t to be included in this hunt.”
Jacque felt her mate’s agreement. But he’d obviously wanted to give the leader a choice instead of ordering her.
He looked at Thalion and Cyn. “The elves?”
Thalion nodded. “Tell us where you want us.”
“We’re going to break the continent up into sections.” Fane motioned to the maps. “Though the reports are scarce, some cities have reported the occasional missing person. We can only assume those are just the tip of the iceberg. We will start in those places and work our way out.”
Thadrick cleared his throat. “I will join the hunt. Others of my race will also assist.”
“Thank you, Thad.” Fane motioned with his head to Jezebel. “And you?”
The white witch smiled. “Ask your mate if I can hold my own, alpha.”
Jacque nodded. “She’s totally got this, Fane. I’d have her fight by my side in a heartbeat.”
Fane nodded, appearing satisfied with his mate’s answer. He looked at Peri and Lucian. “You two have been distracted since the mountain came down. Is this something we need to discuss in private, or will you speak freely now?”
Jacque’s brow rose. Her mate wasn’t pulling any punches today.
Peri's lips drew thin across her face in a severe line, and the aura surrounding her began to glow. Jacque forced herself not to take a step back. She’d seen Peri in her glory many times, and she didn't want to be anywhere near the wrath that sometimes resulted.
After several tense moments, Peri said, “We will not speak freely now, nor will we join the hunt. I can assign fae to assist you all with the travel you need, not to mention we have three dozen warriors chomping at the bit to join this cause. But, for the moment, my attention must be directed elsewhere. Until this issue is resolved, I will only be distracted.”
“I’m with her, alpha,” Nissa spoke up. “The issue that weighs upon Peri involves me, as well. You know how old we are—”
“Not just older than dirt,” Zara whispered. “More like ten-layers-beneath-the-surface old.”
Peri side-eyed the she-wolf. “Thank you for that expert analysis, little miss geologist.”
Zara saluted the high fae. “There doesn’t seem to be nearly enough banter today. Someone had to break the tension.”
“How long will you be detained?” Fane asked.
A faraway look came into Peri’s eyes. Jacque wondered what the ancient fae saw in her mind’s eye. “I cannot say with any certainty at this point. I only know that I must go.”
“Where she goes, I go.” If possible, Lucian’s voice almost sounded gruffer than usual. Jacque noticed his eyes glowed with his wolf. It seemed to be a theme in the room among the males.
Fane nodded. “That goes without saying, Uncle. Peri, any fae you can send to us is appreciated.”
Peri slipped her hand into Lucian’s. “Give me a few minutes.” Then she and Lucian were gone.
Fane walked over to a map showing the United States. Jacque watched as her mate’s eyes roamed over the paper. She’d observed him staring at it almost continually over the past two days. While he’d been plotting, she had been searching the internet for news that wasn’t being reported on the major stations, digging past the truckload of BS they were spewing to the public. Interestingly enough, the rise of social media had spawned an army of so-called “investigators” that made it their mission to search out anything strange going on around the world. Armchair detectives, they called themselves. They seemed to run the gamut between harmless, cooky conspiracy theorists to schizophrenics plagued with hallucinations. And while most were way off base, a few appeared to have hit upon something close to the truth, probably closer than they even realized.
“Jacque and I have found the majority of disappearance reports appear to be concentrated in these areas.” He pointed to Chicago, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and New York City.
“Some of the largest cities in the US,” Zara pointed out.
Fane nodded. “Not to mention some of the highest crime rates.”
“But why would there be so many dormants in those places?” Boain spoke for the first time. “The wolf in us naturally seeks more remote places.”
“How do you know that?” The historian in Wadim was no doubt hungry for information. The dude lived for knowledge.
“Lorna and I have come across a few dormants over the past couple of years,” Boain said. “Rogue packs travel a lot.”
